The United States has strongly condemned the recent wave of brutal attacks on Christians in Nigeria and across sub-Saharan Africa, calling the violence "horrific" and pledging to work with international partners to address the crisis.
The condemnation follows a series of deadly attacks in recent times, including the massacre of 27 Christians in Bindi Ta-hoss, a community in Riyom LGA of Plateau State, by Islamist Fulani militants.
Trump's led administration, through the White House and the State Department, has vowed to respond with decisive actions to end the senseless killings that seem to have no end. “The Trump administration condemns in the strongest terms this horrific violence against Christians,” the White House said. It emphasised that religious freedom is both a moral duty and a U.S. foreign policy priority.
The State Department Spokesperson told newsmen that “The Department of State is working closely with the White House to identify opportunities to further bring religious freedom around the world.
"Religious freedom for all people worldwide is a moral and national security imperative and a U.S. foreign policy priority. As President Trump has stated, the United States will vigorously promote this freedom.” It is not clear yet what specific action the Trump's led administration has in mind.
Meanwhile, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has accused the Nigerian government of a slow response to cases of violence unleashed by non-state actors, by jihadists in different parts of the country.
In a new report, the Commission, an independent, bipartisan U.S. agency, saddled with monitoring, analysing, and reporting on religious freedom violations around the world, stated that "religious communities are facing systematic and egregious violations of their ability to practise their faith freely, with the prosecution and imprisonment of individuals perceived to have insulted religion."
Those targeted, the report said, included Christians, Muslims, traditional practitioners, and humanists.
In another development, the Federal Government of Nigeria has announced its readiness to arraign five suspects linked to the bombing of the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, Southwest Nigeria, on June 5, 2022.
The suspects are Idris Omeiza, Al-Qasim Idris, Jamiu Abdulmalik, Abdulhaleem Idris, and Momoh Abubakar.
They will soon be arraigned before Justice Obiorah Egwatu of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on nine counts bordering on terrorism. This is coming three years after the then Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Gen. Lucky Irabor, announced the arrest of those behind the attack, which was linked to the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP).
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